Why do some people still shoot still film and motion picture film?

Sometimes technology moves along so far and so fast that we automatically think the old stuff has no value or point. And yet, there are music enthusiasts who still crave a top of line Record Player over any CD system.

Film too is becoming misunderstood. 

On a separate but relatable note, the July 4th hot dog eating contests are all about cramming as much dead animal into one's gullet as is humanly possible within a certain time limit. In some ways that is what has become of digital. 

The ability to reshoot, reframe, and retry over and over, and for virtually no cost (although the more one shoots (eats) the longer one takes to log the material (digest the food) and decide which shots are the best), and then retouch those shots over and over in photoshop, is sometimes mistaken as always being a superior method to shooting on film.

The charm of film, besides the look of all the different kind of film stocks, is the planning and concentration involved before one pulls the trigger. Film shooting helps a person create an ingredients list of what shots they need, and what they will do with the shots afterwards.

If you have about 500 to 1,000 dollars to spend, you might want to invest in a top of the line Super-8mm camera, join a super-8 forum,  shoot film, have a lab develop the film, and then have the film transferred to a digital editing format of your choice.  

Ah yes, the secret coolness of film is that it is format agnostic. Film becomes the format you transfer it to, and, as formats improve and new ones get created, the same piece of film can be retransferred again, with new and improved quality. Motion picture films shot in the 60's and 70's can be retransferred today with enhanced quality.

Just recently, Kodak announced a new film designed to preserve productions shot on digital video!

Film has been able to match HD step for step. As HD has improved, so has the look of film transferred to HD.

You just may find yourself getting hooked on the challenge of shooting Super-8mm film, and the ensuing results. Some Super-8 cameras come with so many filming options they actually offer many more options than shooting in 16mm or 35mm. Plus, the viewfinders for Super-8 cameras are among the best ever made. However, if you want to match HD quality, you would shoot on 16mm or 35mm.

Or if you already own a digital camera, you could just be like everybody else and buy the newest digital camera, only to kick yourself in the butt for not waiting an extra year or two for the new and improved digital camera that is always around the corner.